Candidates start filing nominations in GTA area

Amitava Banerjee |  MP  |  13 June 2023 | DARJEELING: After drawing blanks in the first few days, finally the ball has started rolling with candidates filing nominations in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) area for the upcoming Panchayat elections. 

The Darjeeling Hills and Kalimpong will be going to two-tier Panchayat polls after a gap of 23 years. 

The Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) candidates filed nominations throughout the Hills on Tuesday. The BGPM is capable of fighting elections alone, claimed Anit Thapa, president BGPM leading a rally of BGPM candidates on the way to file nominations in Kurseong. 

“50 per cent of our candidates filed nominations on Tuesday. Others will file nominations till June 15. This time we had asked the villages to choose their own candidates. Lots of interested youths have come forward. This is a good sign and a new trend for the Hills,” stated Thapa. 

Reacting to the newly forged alliance “United Gorkha Mancha,” composed of opposition parties, Thapa stated: “Alliance is a political strategy. In order to win, one forges an alliance. I feel when a party or parties don’t have the confidence to win on their own capabilities they forge alliances. 

However, BGPM has been winning alliances on their own. We are capable of doing it alone. We are confident,” stated Thapa. 

Reacting to talks of BGPM and TMC alliance, Thapa stated: “We have always worked with the government without going into confrontation. However, political ideologies are different. We will be fielding candidates in all seats,” stated Thapa. 

In Mirik, one Anima Rai Thapa was fielded as an independent candidate by tea workers. Rai is a worker of Manju Tea Garden. Interestingly, a lot of confusion exists over the powers and functions of Panchayat Samity in the Hills. 

“The Hills have been devoid of this Panchayat tier for decades, hence the confusion,” explained Thapa. With the formation of the DGHC in 1988, the three tier Panchayat system prevalent throughout the country was replaced by a two-tier system in the Darjeeling Hills by amending the Indian Constitution in 1992.

In the Darjeeling Hills, the last Panchayat election was held in 2000 with the then GNLF party under Subash Ghising objecting to Panchayat elections in 2005 alleging that the Panchayat was diluting the powers of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council (DGHC.) In 2000, election was held to the Gram Panchayat only with Ghising expressing fears that the Panchayat Samity would overlap the powers and functions of the DGHC. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/candidates-start-filing-nominations-in-gta-area-521990